Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1887-04-09
WHY THERE is NO QUARANTINE
STATION.
Says the San Francisco Alta of yester-

Says the San Francisco Alta of yester-
day:
Our people who were not before aware of the
fact are unpleasantly impressed by the knowl-
edge that there is no quarantine station in this
harbor. We are compelled to quarantine
against the whole Mexican and South American
coast, and against Asia at times. and our sea-
wise trade is with the countries where the vel
low fever, cholera and smallpox are nearly
always at home and yet we have not single
facility for properly discharging the duty
thereby imposed upon our sanitary officers.
In the name of goodness has the Alta
been sleeping these many years When
and where did it discover that any of the
people of San Francisco did not know until
last week that there is no quarantine sta
ton in their bay? The truth is, all San
Franciscans whom it was material to have
know it, have known it all along. The
fact was wildly impressed upon them four
years ago, when the State Board of Health
acting in conjunction with a body
representing Congress labored day and
night with the Legislature to secure the
condemnation of grounds for quarantine
station, and the erection of suitable build
ings to which quarantined passengers
could be removed. The application was
bitterly opposed by the San Francisco
press, and the one only and solitary
reason" advanced was this: "It is a
scheme through which Chinese immigrants
NAV be landed" The Alta asks that an
appeal be made to the Federal Govern
ment now for a station The Federal
Government did act, and its officials, be-
cause of the attitude of San Francisco be-
carne disguised and withdrew from the
consideration OF the matter. Let the curl
Gus examine the reports on this subject.
Congress was not only willing, but very
anxious to cooperate with California in
establishing the needed station; but. as we
have said, the unreasonable opposition and
the amazing stupidity of the San Francisco
press on the subject negatiyed action,
since without the aid of the San Francisco
delegation nothing could be accomplished
in the Legislature. The same thing oc-
Cured two years ago-the cold shoulder
at one time and hot opposition at another
on the part of San Francisco preventing
action. Our State Board of Health went
so far as to select grounds and report upon
the respective merits of several sites"
In the last Legislature the Board of
Health did not present the matter-its
former experiences having considerably
broken down It's faith in the wisdom Of
the San Francisco delegation, and dissi-
pated its hope of success. The people of
San Francisco have, therefore, known that
there is no quarantine station on the bay;
no hospital or grounds to which TO remove
the ouarantined; and that these do not
exist to-day, and that quarantined ship
in San Francisco's harbor is likely to te
come breeding place for infectious and
contagious disease, is due wholly and alone
to the opposition of San Francisco, and
this is a fact the people of San Francisco
also know The whole matter was at the
time so exasperating, because of San Fran
cisco's attitude, that at this distance of
time something Of the spirit of indigna-
ton then felt still stirs US.